Program Notes

Program Notes 2011-2012
Ted Wilks, Program Annotator

A Scottish Fantasy - September 30, October 1 and 2, 2011
    Arnold, Four Scottish Dances
    Bruch, Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra
    Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 3 "Scottish Symphony"

Carmina Burana plus a World Premier, November 11, 12, & 13, 2011
    Orff, Carmina Burana
    Danielpour, Vox terrae

New Year's Celebration: December 31, 2011 and January 2, 2012
    Carnival Overture, Op. 92, Antonín Dvořák
    Danse Bohème (Gypsy Song), from the Opera “Carmen” (Suite No. 2), Georges Bizet
    Tico Tico no Fubá, Zequinha de Abreu
    “Harry’s Wondrous World” from “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone,”John Williams
    Dance of the Comedians from Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride), Bedřich Smetana
    Waltz from Act I of the Ballet “Sleeping Beauty,” Op. 66, Peter Il’yich Tchaikovsky
    Unter Donner und Blitz (Thunder and Lightning) – Polka, Op. 324, Johann Strauss, Jr.
    “Ride of the Valkyries” from Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Richard Wagner
    “Danse des cygnes” from the Ballet “Swan Lake,” Op. 20, Peter Il’yich Tchaikovsky
     An der schönen, blauen Donau (The Blue Danube), Op. 314, Johann Strauss, Jr.
     Dance of the Buffoons (Tumblers) from the Opera “Snegurochka” (The Snow Maiden), Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
    Slavonic Dance in C Major, Op. 72/7, Antonín Dvořák
     Theme Song from the Film “Somewhere in Time,” John Barry
     Waltz from the Ballet “Swan Lake,” Op. 20, Peter Il’yich Tchaikovsky
     “Les Toreadors” from the Opera “Carmen” (Suite No. 1), Georges Bizet
     Auld Lang Syne (Times Gone By), Traditional

Mozart and the Pianist, January 14, 15, 16, 2012
    Rossini, La Cenerentola Overture
    Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
    Schumann, Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish”

Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Papa Mozart, February 24, 25 and 26, 2012
    Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto op. 64; Netanel Draiblate, violin
    Leopold Mozart, Toy Symphony
    Beethoven, Symphony No. 8
    Tsontakis, Laconika

Spelling Variations for Composers’ Names Originating in Script other than Roman
A personal perspective, by Ted Wilks, Lancaster Symphony Orchestra Program Annotator

When they encounter names of composers that were originally written in a script other than Roman, program annotators of orchestras and chamber ensembles, and others who write program notes regularly or occasionally, are faced with the question of how best to spell them. The long list of scripts other than Roman in use around the world includes several major ones – Arabic, Chinese, Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, and Korean – as well as many other less well-known ones. Fortunately, perhaps, for those who write program notes, the only one frequently encountered in classical music is Russian.

The list of Russian composers whose names were originally written in Cyrillic script is extensive. While many of these names convert from Cyrillic script into Roman script with little or no room for variations, conversion of a few has resulted, over the years, in spelling variations in Roman script.

A comparison of program notes and other Internet references written in the USA, versus those in England or Europe, rapidly forces readers to conclude that there seem to be no standards for conversion of Russian names from Cyrillic script into Roman script. Each country within the European continent converts Cyrillic-script names in a phonetic manner that best suits its own pronunciation rules. It is harder to account for differences between North-American English and British English. The oft-quoted saying (attributed to either George Bernard Shaw or Oscar Wilde), “England and America are two nations divided by the same language,” is not true when it comes to conversion of some Russian composers’ names!

The most frequently encountered Russian composer’s name, and the one with (at least) four different spellings, is Rachmaninoff (USA), spelled Rachmaninov in Canada, Britain, and some European countries, and Rachmaninow in Germany, while the 1965 and 1980 editions of Grove’s Dictionary¹ spell it Rakhmaninov. Why do these differences exist?

Grove’s Dictionary, the most prestigious musical encyclopedia in the world, presumably adopted the spelling Rakhmaninov for its fourth and fifth editions because it is closest to the name in its original Cyrillic script, Рахманинов, but the current online edition has two entries, with two different spellings.² In Britain, Canada, Germany, and Holland, for example, the spelling Rachmaninov is used; whoever decided to convert the Cyrillic “x” into “ch”, rather than “kh”, started a trend that continues on both sides of the Atlantic. Retention of the final “v”, as opposed to an “ff” ending, is presumably an attempt to adhere reasonably closely to the Cyrillic original, and it raises the issue of when to use “voiced” consonants versus their “voiceless” equivalents, which is a feature of many languages, though not English. Suffice it here to say that a final “v” in Russian words is pronounced as an “f”.

The US spelling varied appreciably during the 20th century. Thus, Upton³ spelled it Rachmaninov, whereas both Goepp⁴ and Borowski⁵ both spelled it Rachmaninow. By the 1950s, the spelling seems to have been standardized to Rachmaninoff; the final “–ff” was presumably adopted so that readers would pronounce the name with a final voiceless “f” sound.

The conclusion is that there is no absolute “standard” or correct spelling for the conversion of Russian names such as РАXМАНИНОВ, and readers can expect to encounter spelling variations of this and other Russian composers’ names for the forseeable future. Here are some other examples found in Grove and on the Internet:

Лядов: Lyadov (Grove); Liadov (Grove, Canada, Britain); Liadoff (US).

Μусоргский: Musorgsky, Moussorgsky (Grove); Mussorgsky (Grove, US, Britain); Musorgskii (Korea); Musorgskij (Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Sweden).

Прокофьев: Prokofiev (Grove, Britain, France, Italy); Prokofieff (US); Prokofjew (Germany).

Шостакович: Shostakovich (US, Britain); Sjostakowitsj (Netherlands); Schostakowitsch (Denmark, Germany); Sosztakovics (Hungary); Šostakovitš (Estonia).

Скряъин: Skryabin (Grove); Scriabin (US, Britain); Skriabin (German); Scriabine (French).

Чайковский: Tchaikovsky (US, Britain); Tsjaikowski, Tsjaikowskij, Tsjaikovski (Netherlands); Tschaikowsky (Germany). Other variations: Cajkovskij, Chaikovskii, Chaikovsky, Chaykovsky, Tchaïkovski, Tchaykovsky.

Footnote: Spelling differences occur also in other languages, and with names other than Russian. Two examples will suffice:(1) Although the people of Romania use Roman script, albeit with diacritical marks added to many letters, it should also be mentioned that “Romania” is also spelled “Roumania” or “Rumania.” “Romania,” the preferred spelling in Grove’s Dictionary,⁶ is used throughout this book.(2) Rossini’s first name is spelled Gioacchino in the Fifth (1954) edition of Grove’s Dictionary, but Gioachino in the 1980 and 2000 hard-copy editions and the online electronic edition. Concert-goers can expect to see either spelling in program notes.

Ted Wilks, 2005

References

1. Norris, G. “Rakhmaninov, Sergey (Vasil’yevich)”; in The New GROVE Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, Macmillan, London (1980).

2. Norris, G. “Rachmaninoff [Rakhmaninov, Rachmaninov], Serge [Sergey] (Vasil’yevich)”; Taruskin, R. “Rakhmaninov [Rachmaninoff, Rachmaninov], Sergey Vasil’yevich”; in Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed [13 November 2003]); <http://www.grovemusic.com>.

3. Upton, George P.; in The Standard Concert Guide, A. C. McClurg & Co, Chicago (1917).

4. Goepp, Philip H.; in Great Works of Music, Vol. 3, Garden City Publishing, New York (1913).

5. Borowski, Felix; in The Chicago Symphony Orchestra – 39th Season Program Notes, Orchestral Association, Orchestra Hall, Chicago (1930).

6. Romania [Roumania, Rumania]; in The New GROVE Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Ed. Stanley Sadie, Macmillan, London (1980).